Smuggling on Indian chicken worries Banke poultry farmers

Siraj Khan,Nepalgunj, Apr. 2: Smuggling of chickens to Nepal from India has, of late, increased through various border points in Banke district.  

Businessmen have themselves started monitoring the border checkpoints to stop the illegal import of chicken, stating the illegal supply of Indian chickens has badly affected local farmers and poultry business.

Dharma Raj Pokharel, president of the Poultry Entrepreneurs' Forum, Banke, said that there was a situation in which Nepali businessmen could lose a large investment due to illegal import. “The worried farmers and businessmen themselves have started reaching the border points to control smuggling. They catch the smugglers and hand them over to police,” he said.

He said that the chickens illegally imported through the border points have been recovered from various meat shops and other places in Nepalgunj market. “We have started seizing such chicken and handing it over to the police.

President Pokharel said that the forum has also started formally filing a complaint for action after identifying the smugglers. 

He complained that the police have shown indifference in taking action even when the smugglers were held during the monitoring and handed over to police.  

According to entrepreneurs, taking advantage of the open border, illegal import of chicken is thriving through more than a dozen illegal border crossings from the Balai village Phutaha checkpoint in Bardiya to Narainapur in eastern Banke.

The Forum said that smuggling is increasing due to the price disparity as a kilogram of chicken costs up to Rs. 220 in Nepal and only Rs. 90 in India.

President Pokharel said that there is an investment of about Rs. 5 billion in this business in the district where there are more than 500 small and large poultry farmers and entrepreneurs in Banke.

Meanwhile, chief of the District Police Office, Banke, and Superintendent of Police Tul Bahadur Karki said that the police are working seriously to control it after receiving information about smuggling of chickens from the border area.

He said, "We are arresting illegal chicken importers from various places. The police are leaving no stone unturned to fulfill their responsibility."

According to District Police Office, Banke, it has seized smuggled chicken and handed over to the Animal Quarantine Office, Nepalgunj. 

Chicken and meat worth Rs 376,810, were smuggled from India in the month of Falgun alone.